The Road Travelled
by ohmytheon
Summary: There are moments that make the most out of Jyn and Cassian's road trip the the west coast.


**Author's Notes:** I am, at any given moment, thinking about going on a road trip (baby and two dogs in tow), so this was the perfect prompt for me. When will this ship not be the death of me?

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

The lights from the gas station woke her up some time around 3 am. Jyn blinked blearily against the clinical light, throwing a hand over her face to shield herself as much as possible, but it was already too late. She was awake now and there was no going back. The pain in her neck from the odd angle she'd slept in slowly made itself aware; the need to use the restroom was much more urgent. She groaned as she felt the car park and curled up in her seat further as if that could fix things.

"Sorry, we were almost on 'e'," the driver told her.

Jyn opened her eyes and peered at Cassian, who was sitting calmly in the passenger seat. How he was this awake was beyond her. They'd talked about getting a motel for the night, but he'd insisted that he could drive through the night. She had been wary, but looking at him now, she couldn't figure out what for. He didn't even look like he needed any coffee, like it was 3 in the afternoon and he was just getting off work. Only the stubble on his face and shadows under his eyes let her know how late it was.

"Not your fault," Jyn grumbled as she stretched in her seat. Her shirt raised up and Cassian looked away from her, focusing on digging his wallet out of his pocket. "I got the next fill up, right?"

Cassian jerked his head in a nod. "Every other one."

"Let's hope the next state has cheaper gas."

He smiled but said nothing in response. She slipped out of the car as he got out to pump the gas. After using the questionable restroom, she came back with two waters, a coffee, and a large bag of grippos. Cassian took the coffee, sipping out of it like it was the Holy Grail, and thanked her with another brief nod. By the time he finished filling up the car and using the restroom, she was already curled up in the passenger seat. It didn't take long for her to fall back asleep. Her day had been a long one.

When she woke up a few hours later, Jyn found herself covered by his jacket like a blanket and him humming under his breath with the music turned down low. The sun was starting to rise. Its light made him glow softly. She could've stared at him for hours, but he glanced at her and asked, "Did you sleep well?" and all she could do was nod her head.

* * *

It was five in the afternoon – evening? – and they were at a small diner scarfing down food. Cassian would never complain about what he was eating and neither would Jyn – both of them had lived off of worse – but somehow this small diner managed to produce at least a one star Michelin meal after what they'd been eating the past few days. It was incredible. They ate every bite without concern about what they looked like.

Months ago, when Jyn had proposed this road trip, Cassian hadn't thought about what it would actually be like. Singing in the car, the wind in their hair, sleepless nights, comfortable silence, the road and the sky. He liked to read while she was driving; she liked to daydream and sometimes talk while he did. He was better at singing than she was, but she carried on conversations well. She slept more in the car as well. He was too restless. She drove faster.

He found himself itching to reach over and touch her, grab her hand as it tapped on her thigh. He'd never felt that before. They were just two friends going on a road trip out west. But she had this energy inside of her that he felt the urge to tap. Maybe it had always been that way, but now with the two of them alone with nothing but the road in between and in front of them, it was much more apparent.

"This is the best food I have ever eaten," Jyn said in between bites.

"You've only eaten gas station food for the past three days," Cassian pointed out.

"Still," she insisted and he believed her. It was terrible how easy he could trust in what she said. He knew how much of a sneak and a liar she could be and yet he found himself following her anyways.

* * *

"We should go on a road trip."

"Sounds like fun."

"Would you go with me?"

 _I'd follow you anywhere._ "Sure."

* * *

"I can fix it!" Jyn insisted as she laid on the ground next to their car. Pieces of asphalt and rock dug into her skin painfully, but she ignored it. She didn't want Cassian to think she was too weak to change a damn tire. Besides, it was her fault that they had a flat. She hadn't been paying attention and she'd hit a pothole. She needed to get their spare on so they could make it to the closest town to get a patch or a new tire if need be.

Cassian peered down at her. "I can help."

"No!" Jyn pushed herself up. The jack was in place. She'd probably need his help getting the lugs off, as painful as it was for her to admit it, but beyond that, she could do it herself. Her dad taught her how to change a tire. It was one of the few things she remembered about him. It made her terrible and obstinate when it came to doing this. "It's my fault. I got this."

The sigh he let out made her even more anxious. "We're in this together, remember?"

"I know, but–" She gave him a forced smile. "It makes me feel better about myself to do it on my own, you know?"

It was a lie. She had a feeling that he knew it, but he didn't push the matter. There was almost nothing that they didn't talk about. She trusted him with everything and he did the same with her. He knew some the darkest stuff about her and the most embarrassing too. She trusted him with that. Some things though she could never let go of entirely and he knew that as well and never pushed it. She knew that there were things about his past that he didn't speak of and she knew that she would never know. She didn't push it.

He always knew when something was about her father due to her avoidance and he never pushed it. God, he was too good for her.

"It's nice outside tonight at least," Cassian mused. She could be grateful for that. She'd had to change a tire during a snowstorm before. That had been miserable.

* * *

Cassian wasn't one to admit when he was tired, but he could barely stand on his feet. He'd tried to drive further, but Jyn had noticed that he was done and had insisted on stopping. Normally, they would've taken a brief reprieve at a rest stop, but there had been a sign for a motel and Jyn had insisted. They had the money, seeing as how they'd been frugal ever since the flat tire, and a bed would be nice.

One bed.

They hadn't thought it through entirely.

It didn't look like a very comfortable bed and yet to Cassian's eyes it was the most appealing thing on the planet. He stood at the foot of the bed, staring at it, telling himself that the floor would be just fine, until Jyn walked out of the bathroom, toothbrush in the side of her mouth.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"Get in bed, you lump. You look like you're going to pass out."

"Oh, no." Cassian shook himself and turned to her. She was wearing her pajamas, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, her hair done in its typical messy bun. Did she sleep in bed with it like that? It didn't look comfortable if she slept on her back any. "You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

Jyn narrowed her eyes. "As if. You're the one that needs proper rest. Get in bed."

"But–"

"We can just share it. Promise not to take advantage of me, okay?"

Cassian sighed. "I'm too tired for that."

"Pity," Jyn replied as she rolled her eyes and turned back to the bathroom. "Bed, now."

He didn't argue with her any further. He couldn't have been in bed and under the covers longer for two minutes before he was out cold. His dreams were distant and filled with the road, nothing spectacular, but when he woke up, there was a warm body beside him, her hot breath in the crook of his neck and her body fitted against his chest, one of his hands lying possessively on her hips. Sunlight was creeping inside, but just barely, the glow taking on an otherworldly feeling.

And it did feel like another world. Jyn had never felt so soft before. Her hands small as she held them together in between her chest and his, her ankles folded over one another, her knees bent so that she formed a slight ball pressed against him. She took up so little space compared to the way he had stretched out in his sleep, one of his legs almost over her hips and his chin resting on the top of her head. He couldn't remember falling asleep so he didn't know how they'd started in bed, but certainly it hadn't been like this.

He wanted to kiss her awake.

He didn't.

"You took all the blankets," Jyn mumbled against him, but she didn't move. "I got cold."

"Sorry." He wasn't.

* * *

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere, as long as it's out of this shit town." _And with you._

* * *

When they reached the west coast, all they could do was sit in the car in silence. Jyn sat in the passenger seat, staring at the waves as they crashed onto the shore. It was foggier than expected, but late at night. No one else was here but them. Anyone else would be suspect, although they probably were. She wanted to rush out of the car and run to the shore, but sat frozen in the car instead.

"We made it."

A simple statement, but each word was peppered with joy. She was happy. It had been a long time since she had seen the ocean and never this one. Even more so, she was glad that it was with Cassian. This was the shoreline of his childhood. He'd never been to this particular one, but he was familiar with it. He hadn't been back here in years. When she'd thought of this road trip, she had admittedly thought of what it might mean to him.

He got out of the car first. She followed quickly after that. The walk to the ocean was quick and silent. After driving for so long, it almost didn't seem real. They both kicked off their shoes halfway to the ocean. When the water brushed up against her toes, she laughed and rushed away from it. Cold to the touch now, it would be warmer when the sun was in the sky. He didn't run from it, choosing to let it rush over his feet. He was stronger. She had known that about him for a very long time.

"I missed it," Cassian admitted.

"I know," Jyn replied quietly.

He shrugged his shoulders, the water still pooling around his feet after another wave had crashed. "I couldn't live here again though, I don't think." She couldn't ask him why. The look in his eyes was too much. "What next?"

"Well, there's a whole highway to travel down the coastline," she pointed out.

"More time alone with you?" he responded, though he sounded too amused to be anything but.

Jyn grinned. "If you can manage it."

They both wanted more. She could feel it in the air between them, in the waves that crashed behind them and the headlights of the car in front of them. She felt pulled towards him, like the tide. She'd felt like that since she had met him and they had become friends. It was partly why she'd suggested going on this trip and probably why he had ended up agreeing even though he had been hesitant at first.

She had known he wouldn't say no though. Her father had died. She needed to get away. Start fresh. And she didn't want to do any of it without him.

Cassian held out his hand. She took it and stepped into the water with him, trying not to shiver. Easier said than done. She'd get used to it though. He would help her, as he always did.


End file.
